Bible Society of South Africa

Lent: Liturgy of the Passion

Gospel

Pilate Questions Jesus

11Jesus stood before the Roman governor, who questioned him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked.

“So you say,” answered Jesus. 12But he said nothing in response to the accusations of the chief priests and elders.

13So Pilate said to him, “Don't you hear all these things they accuse you of?”

14But Jesus refused to answer a single word, with the result that the Governor was greatly surprised.

Jesus is Sentenced to Death

15At every Passover Festival the Roman governor was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner the crowd asked for. 16At that time there was a well-known prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. 17So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to set free for you? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called the Messiah?” 18He knew very well that the Jewish authorities had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.

19While Pilate was sitting in the judgement hall, his wife sent him a message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night I suffered much on account of him.”

20The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask Pilate to set Barabbas free and have Jesus put to death. 21But Pilate asked the crowd, “Which one of these two do you want me to set free for you?”

“Barabbas!” they answered.

22“What, then, shall I do with Jesus called the Messiah?” Pilate asked them.

“Crucify him!” they all answered.

23But Pilate asked, “What crime has he committed?”

Then they started shouting at the top of their voices: “Crucify him!”

24When Pilate saw that it was no use to go on, but that a riot might break out, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am not responsible for the death of this man! This is your doing!”

25The whole crowd answered, “Let the responsibility for his death fall on us and our children!”

26Then Pilate set Barabbas free for them; and after he had Jesus whipped, he handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27Then Pilate's soldiers took Jesus into the governor's palace, and the whole company gathered round him. 28They stripped off his clothes and put a scarlet robe on him. 29Then they made a crown out of thorny branches and placed it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand; then they knelt before him and mocked him. “Long live the King of the Jews!” they said. 30They spat on him, and took the stick and hit him over the head. 31When they had finished mocking him, they took the robe off and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

Jesus is Crucified

32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha, which means, “The Place of the Skull”. 34There they offered Jesus wine mixed with a bitter substance; but after tasting it, he would not drink it.

35They crucified him and then divided his clothes among them by throwing dice. 36After that they sat there and watched him. 37Above his head they put the written notice of the accusation against him: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38Then they crucified two bandits with Jesus, one on his right and the other on his left.

39People passing by shook their heads and hurled insults at Jesus: 40“You were going to tear down the Temple and build it up again in three days! Save yourself if you are God's Son! Come on down from the cross!”

41In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the Law and the elders jeered at him: 42“He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Isn't he the king of Israel? If he comes down off the cross now, we will believe in him! 43He trusts in God and claims to be God's Son. Well, then, let us see if God wants to save him now!”

44Even the bandits who had been crucified with him insulted him in the same way.

The Death of Jesus

45At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours. 46At about three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”

47Some of the people standing there heard him and said, “He is calling for Elijah!” 48One of them ran up at once, took a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, put it on the end of a stick, and tried to make him drink it.

49But the others said, “Wait, let us see if Elijah is coming to save him!”

50Jesus again gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

51Then the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split apart, 52the graves broke open, and many of God's people who had died were raised to life. 53They left the graves, and after Jesus rose from death, they went into the Holy City, where many people saw them.

54When the army officer and the soldiers with him who were watching Jesus saw the earthquake and everything else that happened, they were terrified and said, “He really was the Son of God!”

Matthew 27:11-54GNBOpen in Bible reader

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

14Then one of the twelve disciples — the one named Judas Iscariot — went to the chief priests 15and asked, “What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?” They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him. 16From then on Judas was looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them.

Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with his Disciples

17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Where do you want us to get the Passover meal ready for you?”

18“Go to a certain man in the city,” he said to them, “and tell him: ‘The Teacher says, My hour has come; my disciples and I will celebrate the Passover at your house.’ ”

19The disciples did as Jesus had told them and prepared the Passover meal.

20When it was evening, Jesus and the twelve disciples sat down to eat. 21During the meal Jesus said, “I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

22The disciples were very upset and began to ask him, one after the other, “Surely, Lord, you don't mean me?”

23Jesus answered, “One who dips his bread in the dish with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man will die as the Scriptures say he will, but how terrible for that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would have been better for that man if he had never been born!”

25Judas, the traitor, spoke up. “Surely, Teacher, you don't mean me?” he asked.

Jesus answered, “So you say.”

The Lord's Supper

26While they were eating, Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples. “Take and eat it,” he said; “this is my body.”

27Then he took a cup, gave thanks to God, and gave it to them. “Drink it, all of you,” he said;

Matthew 26:14-27GNBOpen in Bible reader

66What do you think?”

They answered, “He is guilty and must die.”

Matthew 26:66GNBOpen in Bible reader
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